Innovative Travel Tech Start-Ups Remain On M&A Agenda
On August 26th, Skift’s Sean O’Neill reported that banking and finance giant, Capital One, acquired Freebird. Freebird offers smarter flight insurance and disruption services. It is an exciting acquisition for a card provider to augment its existing insurance offerings and potentially includes ‘smart insurance’ for its credit card users. With credit card companies locked in a battle for new customers, is this string in Capital One’s bow an attempt at winning private and corporate clients from Citi, Amex, and other leading credit card providers?
Airline Pricing Volatility
Oversee was in the news this week, announcing the publication of its new Airfare Volatility Index. Business Travel News reported the latest findings that between June and July, volatility jumped 152%, with airline prices swinging wildly as revenue management systems struggled with supply and demand.
Oversee’s FareSaver Air Price Assurance offers a proactive approach to leverage rate fluctuations, ensuring immediate access to guaranteed savings across your air spend.
FareSaver automatically identifies price drops and reissues cheaper like-for-like tickets, ensuring maximum savings with zero hassle for travelers.
Travelers remain on the same flight, in the same cabin, and with the same seat type, providing reassurance and confidence in their booking choices.
FareSaver offers ultimate customization, allowing businesses to tailor settings to their specific needs and policies, ensuring that cheaper fares never translate into higher costs.
With a fast and simple integration process, Oversee’s FareSaver seamlessly integrates with existing systems and TMC partnerships, ensuring a smooth rollout and secure data handling.
FareSaver provides a user-friendly dashboard with real-time data, offering clear visibility into savings programs. Businesses can track realized savings, identify top contributing countries, and monitor savings percentages over time.
By incorporating FareSaver into their travel programs, businesses can optimize their corporate travel spend, enhance traveler confidence, and ensure their travel programs remain cost-effective and competitive amidst the volatility of airline pricing.
Technology Can’t Supplant Face-To-Face
In an Op-Ed piece by Pittsburgh International Airport CEO, Christina Cassotis, talks about the value of face-to-face contact for business growth, “…make no mistake, business travel will come back, sooner for some than for others. Technology helps, but it will never satisfy the need to pick up the live visual cues that make for the most effective communication, to get deals done, and to solidify relationships that lead to long-term value.“
FCM Increased Market Share
PhocusWire this week reported on the FCM announcement that despite increased losses, its business travel divisions have significantly outperformed, winning AU$390 million in new business for 2021.
